


Over Fences

by haircutnamedarthur



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Ash is an up and coming show jumper, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Equestrian, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Healing, Horseback Riding, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Past Abuse, additional characters and tags will be added and updated as chapters go up, and Eiji has just started taking riding lessons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2019-11-04 18:01:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17902895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haircutnamedarthur/pseuds/haircutnamedarthur
Summary: With his pole-vaulting career over, Eiji decides to study abroad in the United States.  While there, he begins taking horseback riding lessons to try and fill the void that pole-vaulting left behind.  At the stable, he meets Ash, a handsome and talented show jumping prodigy who is taking the equestrian world by storm with his horse Seymour.





	1. I'm Falling for You (Literally)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! I've been playing around with the idea for this story for a little bit now and I'm really excited to have the first chapter up for you guys :) 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think!

“Put your left foot in the stirrup, then swing yourself into the saddle,” The instructor said, standing at the horse’s head with his hand on the bridle so it couldn’t walk away.  When Eiji signed up for riding lessons, he hadn’t really expected his instructor to have a purple mohawk and an eyebrow piercing.  Somehow that didn’t quite fit in with the image in his head of fancy horseback riders in preppy clothes, but Eiji didn’t mind at all.  Shorter, the instructor, was outgoing and friendly, not to mention a good teacher.  Even though Eiji felt intimidated by the idea of riding a horse, and repeatedly wondered _why_ exactly he thought it would be a good idea to start riding for a hobby, Shorter put him at ease.  Eiji liked his relaxed, confident demeanor and his boisterous laughter. 

Eiji, Shorter, and the horse were alone in the large indoor arena.  Rain pattered on the roof, the main reason they were staying inside, but Shorter had said it wasn’t a bad idea to have the lesson indoors anyway.  He explained it wouldn’t feel quite so overwhelming in the indoor arena compared to the much bigger one outside.  Taking a deep breath, Eiji followed Shorter’s instructions and found himself sitting astride the horse.  “Great job!”

 “Really?” Eiji asked watching as Shorter arranged his hands so he was holding the reins correctly.  It felt funny having his pinkie finger on the opposite side of the leather strap from his other fingers, but Eiji resisted the urge to move it back.  He was pretty sure he’d done a clumsy job mounting the horse so he wasn’t sure what was great about it, but he appreciated Shorter’s enthusiasm.

“Yep!  You sure you’ve never done this before?” 

“Positive,” Eiji laughed.  “Oh geez, he is big,” he gasped when Shorter led the horse away from the mounting block.  He grabbed at the front of the saddle and wished he was in the kind with the horn in front like cowboys had in movies.  There wasn’t much to hang onto on the relatively flat English style saddle. 

“Puffin?  Aw, c’mon, he’s not that big!”  Shorter laughed at Eiji’s flustered face. 

“Puffin feels pretty big to me,” Eiji gulped. _Why did I want to do this again?_ He asked himself. When he’d signed up for lessons it seemed like a great idea. Ever since he’d been injured and lost his mojo for pole vaulting, Eiji desperately missed sports. He missed the feeling of a good workout and the satisfaction of practicing and improving. And competing. He _really_ missed competing. Despite that, it took him a while to figure out what new sport he wanted to do exactly. The decision was complicated by the fact that he had been mourning the loss of his pole-vaulting career. Considering he was a serious Olympic prospect before his injury, letting go was hard. While he had more or less accepted that chapter of his life was over, Eiji still felt the loss keenly.

After a lot of thought, Eiji decided to try horseback riding. Horseback riding had always been kind of fascinating to him, and it had the advantage of being completely different from pole-vaulting. That appealed to him since he wanted to try something new. And part of him wondered if he could ever be a good enough rider to jump a horse over big fences. He wanted to see if it would feel as much like flying if pole-vaulting had. Once, he had watched it on television. When Eiji saw the riders guiding their horses around a course of fences that were probably taller than he was, he couldn't take his eyes off them. It looked beyond thrilling. Now, though, he couldn’t even imagine letting go of the front of the saddle and walking the horse around, forget about jumping.

 “I hate to break it to you, but Puff here is strictly on the smaller side of medium as far as horses go.  There are plenty here that are much bigger,” Shorter grinned and patted the light grey horse on the neck.  “Don’t worry.  Puffin is one of the gentlest horses I’ve ever met so he’ll take good care of you.”

“I hope so,” Eiji said and forced himself to relax his death grip on the front of the saddle as Shorter explained the basics of how to stop, go, and steer to him.  _It will be fine,_ Eiji told himself.  _Puffin is a gentle horse so he is not going to do anything bad._

As the lesson went on, Eiji found himself relaxing and even starting to have fun. Riding was a lot harder than he thought it would be. It also used completely different muscles from pole-vaulting. Still, he didn’t feel _completely_ useless at it, especially as he became more proficient at guiding Puffin in a circle around Shorter at the walk. It helped that Puffin was a very tractable mount, content to listen to Eiji’s guidance. It helped even more that Eiji was pretty certain that the horse understood what Shorter told Eiji to do better than his inexperienced rider did. Sometimes the horse would react to the instructions before Eiji even had a chance to try and ask him himself.

 “Door,” someone called out from the gate that lead from the stable to the indoor arena, breaking Eiji’s concentration for the moment.

“You’re good Ash, come on in,” Shorter hollered, then turned his attention back to Eiji. “People always say ‘door’ when they come into the ring to prevent collisions or taking someone by surprise,” he explained. Eiji only half paid attention to his words because he was much more focused on the person leading his horse through the gate.

The guy holding the horse had an intense expression, to the point that it almost looked like a scowl. His eyes were a striking green color, and his hair, at least what Eiji could see from underneath his riding helmet, was light blond. The outfit he wore looked like something from an equestrian magazine photoshoot. He had on stylish brown tall boots, beige riding britches, and a light blue polo shirt that clung to his wiry frame. His shirt matched the saddle pad that his horse wore to perfection. The horse was just as beautiful as its rider. It had a golden coat and a pure white mane and tail, which Eiji was _almost_ sure made him a “palomino” based on the quick research he’d done before his lesson. The horse had a white marking on its face and a white sock that went midway up one hind leg. He was stunning.

 “That’s Ash and his horse, Seymour,” Shorter said.  “Ash is the best rider in the stable,” he added, sounding proud.

“Shut up, Shorter,” Ash sighed, rolling his eyes as he led Seymour up to the mounting block.

“Is that how you talk to your best friend?  Really?” Shorter teased, feigning insult.  Ash smirked for a second and Eiji swore his heart skipped a beat.  _He is… gorgeous,_ Eiji thought.  “Anyway, meet my newest student.  Ash, this is Eiji.  Eiji, meet Ash.”

“Pleasure,” Ash said, smiling a little.  Before Eiji could form a coherent reply, Ash got on his horse and rode off to the other end of the arena.  Seymour shook his head a little and jigged sideways, but Ash quieted him with a cue that was invisible to Eiji.

“Don’t mind him.  He takes a little while to warm up to new people,” Shorter shrugged.  “He acts like a badass but he’s actually a pretty nice dude.  You didn’t hear that from me though.”  Shorter winked.  “Now how about we try some trotting?  We’ll do it on the lunge so I can help you with steering while you get used to going faster.”

Shorter clipped a long line to Puffin’s bit and sent Eiji off walking in a circle around him. 

“Give him a big squeeze, more than you would to make him walk, and then don’t forget that posting we practiced earlier,” Shorter explained. He mimed raising himself up and down in an imaginary saddle to remind Eiji of what to do. “It’ll feel a little fast and bumpy at first, but you’ll get the hang of it.”

With a nod, Eiji pressed his heels to Puffin’s sides, steeling himself for the horse to go bombing off.  Puffin didn’t seem to have any inclination in that direction and kept up the sedate walk that he’d maintained for the whole ride.

 “Use some more leg!” Shorter encouraged, and made a kiss sound at Puffin.  “C’mon Puff, get up there!”

Eiji suspected that Puffin was listening to Shorter’s words more than his own leg, but the horse broke into a slow trot. At first, Eiji felt like he was being jostled all over the place. _Shorter was not kidding, this is really bouncy!_ He hung on for dear life, worried he would jounce right off the horse.

“Don’t forget to post! And don’t look down at the dirt or that’s where you’re gonna end up!” Shorter called from the center of the circle and after bumping around for a few moments Eiji started to figure out what to do with his body. As soon as he managed to get himself in a posting rhythm, lifting himself up and down in the saddle, Puffin felt a whole lot smoother. Eiji couldn’t help but smile, _I am doing it!_

“Atta boy, Eiji! Super!” Shorter enthused. They trotted a few circles, and with each lap Eiji felt more and more like he was getting the hang of it. “Now pull back and walk and give Puffin a pat on the neck.”

Eiji grinned as he rubbed his hand through Puffin’s soft coat.  It had been a little scary, but at the same time it was exciting, especially once he figured out what he was supposed to be doing up there.  If anything, it reminded him of the feeling he had when he first started learning to pole-vault way back as a kid. 

“Now, I’m not just saying this, but that was _really, really_ good for your first time trotting, Eiji.  I’ve never seen someone pick up the rhythm of posting that fast,” Shorter encouraged, and Eiji blushed at the praise.

“Wait, that was his first time?” A voice came from the other end of the arena. 

“Yup!” Shorter smiled.

“Not half bad.  I’d have guessed this was your fourth or fifth lesson at least,” Ash said, trotting past them.  Seymour seemed to float along above the ground as his long steps ate up the arena. Ash posted the trot, too, and it looked effortless and natural.

“It’s ’cause I’m _such_ a good coach,” Shorter said.

“Nice try, Shorter,” Ash retorted, trotting away.

Shorter had Eiji keep practicing his trotting.  It still took a lot of concentration to keep himself posting in time with the horse, but it felt increasingly comfortable the more he kept at it.  Soon, Shorter ditched the lunge line and had Eiji try and trot a few strides towards him.  Without Shorter helping to guide Puffin, it was a lot harder but Eiji still felt like he was doing a decent job of it. 

“Let’s try one more trot and then we’ll call it quits.  Your legs are already going to be _hella_ sore tomorrow so we don’t need to kill you on the first day,” Shorter chortled and Eiji laughed in reply.  It was true, his legs already felt a bit jelly-like, but it was a satisfying feeling, like what he’d experience after a tough practice on the track.  He hadn’t felt that way in a long time and it felt really, really good for his body to be working hard again.

As Eiji started to trot back towards Shorter, he heard what sounded like thundering hoof beats flying up behind him.  He twisted in the saddle to see Seymour bucking and leaping his way across the indoor arena.  Ash grit his teeth as he tried to get control back over his horse, but the leggy palomino seemed determined to get rid of him.  However, Eiji only got to watch for a second because Puffin, startled by the commotion, spooked away Seymour.  The sudden movement jerked the reins from Eiji’s hands and he looked down to try and recover them.

“Eyes _up!!_ ” Shorter yelled.  Puffin lurched sideways again, and Eiji’s stomach dropped when he realized the horse wasn’t underneath him any longer.  Subconsciously, Eiji’s body relaxed, remembering how to fall from the millions of times he had tumbled into crash mats while pole-vaulting.  He thumped into the sand.

Embarrassed, Eiji jumped to his feet as quickly as possible.  Shorter looked like he wasn’t sure whether to go to him or to go catch Puffin, who had run over to the corner of the arena.  Meanwhile, Ash seemed to have gotten a handle on Seymour and had him cantering on a small circle.  The horse still snorted and tossed his head like he was on the verge of running off again, but Ash appeared to have him well in check.

“I am fine!”  Eiji called to Shorter. 

“Good!  I’ll be back, stay put!”  Shorter hurried away to catch Puffin.  The grey horse looked chagrined to have lost his rider so he let Shorter catch his reins without any trouble.  Shorter stroked the horse’s trembling neck and Puffin leaned into his touch, looking for reassurance.  “Puff feels bad that he dumped you.  I can tell,” Shorter explained as he led the horse back over to Eiji.

“It was not really his fault,” Eiji said.  “He seemed like he just got caught by surprise.” He patted Puffin on the nose while Shorter breathed an audible sigh of relief.

“Well, I’m glad you’re okay.  Generally, we try and keep you _on_ the horse for your first lesson,” Shorter rubbed a hand along the back of his neck, bashful.  “But that didn’t happen today.  Let’s get you back on him.”

“Er, if it is the same to you, I think I am done for today,” Eiji glanced off to the side and touched a finger to his lower lip.  He gave a nervous laugh.  “Enough excitement for one day and all that…”  While the fall itself happened too fast to be all that scary, he wasn’t exactly in a hurry to get back in the saddle the more he thought about it.

“Nope,” Shorter said, and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.

“Eh?” Eiji replied, surprised.  He hadn’t really expected any opposition.

“We have a rule here for when you fall off.  It’s called ‘hospital or on.’ So that means you have two choices, either you get back on Puffin, or I call you an ambulance,” Shorter held up his phone with the screen facing Eiji.  He already had 9-1-1 dialed.  All he needed to do to make good on his promise was press the call button.  “So which do you choose, hospital or on?” Eiji blanched.

“But I am not even hurt!” Eiji protested.

“Hospital or on?”  Shorter repeated.  He looked serious enough that Eiji didn’t think he’d cave.

“On,” Eiji sighed and Shorter’s megawatt smile reappeared.

“Good choice!  If you don’t get back on right away, it just feels scarier next time,” Shorter explained while he repositioned Puffin’s saddle. 

“You were not bluffing about calling an ambulance, were you?” Eiji asked, adjusting his helmet.

“Absolutely not.”

~*~

Once he’d done it, Eiji was glad that he’d gotten back on Puffin.  It felt good, and by the time he got off, he didn’t feel nervous any longer.  Plus, he didn’t need to pay for an ambulance ride and a visit to the emergency room for literally no reason whatsoever.  The only part he hadn’t liked was the very awkward apology from Ash, who obviously felt absolutely terrible that his horse had been the cause of all the trouble. 

_I wish he would not feel guilty about it,_ Eiji thought, tapping his fingers on his steering wheel as he prepared to pull out of the stable’s parking lot.  _No one got hurt, after all.  And it was not his fault anyway._ On reflex, he paused to check his text messages before he drove away, but his fingers met air in his pants pocket instead of his cell phone.  After a moment of panic wondering what on earth he’d done with it, Eiji remembered that Shorter had warned him to take it out of his pocket before riding, saying “ _If you fall off and land on your phone at a minimum it’ll hurt like hell, and at worst you’ll break your hip.  And either way, you will_ totally _break your phone._ ” Eiji shuddered a little.  _Good thing I listened to his advice…_

Hopping out of the car, Eiji hurried through the rain to get back into the stable. He knew that he had left his cell phone on a shelf in the tack room for safe keeping. It took him a minute to remember where exactly the tack room was since there were so many stalls and rooms in the barn, but he retraced his steps without too much trouble. As Eiji was about to open the door and walk in, he heard voices coming from inside, making him pause. Eiji wasn’t one to eavesdrop, but it became apparent that the conversation was about _him._

 “Look, Ash, if anything it’s _my_ fault.  I got overeager to let him trot off the lunge since he was doing so well and I wasn’t thinking about how fresh Seymour can be,” Shorter said, voice carrying through the partially open door.  “I should have just kept him on the lunge so I could keep better control of Puffin.”

“It’s _my_ fault! _I_ know how Seymour is! Knowing there was a beginner rider in the ring, I should have waited to work him until you guys finished up. He felt keyed up but I decided to start exercising him anyway. _I_ was an idiot and that’s why he fell off. He’ll probably never ride again,” Ash hissed and Eiji winced. _He really sounds upset_ , Eiji thought _._

 “Well, he paid for the next three lessons in advance on the way out today _sooooooooo_ ,” Shorter said, then paused.  Eiji imagined Ash scowling at Shorter.  “I’m serious, Ash, don’t feel bad.  You didn’t do anything wrong and no one got hurt so no harm no foul, yeah?”

“No!  It’s my fault that he fell,” Ash retorted.  “And who knows, maybe he’s _actually_ hurt and just not saying anything.”

“Don’t project, Ash, he really seemed okay to me-”

Eiji didn’t know Ash, but listening to him beat himself up over something so minor made Eiji feel awful.  Seized by an impulse, Eiji burst into the tack room.

“Please do not feel bad!  I am fine!  Really!  And it was _my_ fault!”  Eiji exclaimed.  Ash and Shorter both looked shocked to see him standing in the doorway.  “I looked down at my hands so I could not keep my balance!”

“But _my_ horse is the only reason Puffin spooked,” Ash shot back.  “And _you’re_ the beginner rider so I should have been looking out for you so it’s really _my_ fault.”

“Well Shorter _said_ if I looked down I would fall off, and I looked down so it is definitely _my-_ ”

“Oh my _God!_ Can you both give it a rest?”  Shorter interjected before Eiji finished.  “Let’s just say it’s _everyone’s_ fault.  It’s my fault.  It’s Eiji’s fault.  It’s Ash’s fault.  Maybe it’s fucking Nicolas Cage’s fault.  I don’t know.  I don’t _careeeeee._ But can we please all stop feeling guilty? Everyone is literally fine.”  Ash looked like he wanted to say something but Shorter cut him off.  “Unless, Eiji, are you secretly grievously injured and hiding it from us?”

“Er, no?  I am really fine.  Promise,” Eiji raised his hands in placation. 

“Good.  Thought so.  Anywho, Ash and I are going downtown to get lunch and you’re welcome to join us.  You said you’re an exchange student, yeah?  We can show you around a little bit,” Shorter said and Eiji nodded, eager.

“That would be great!” Eiji grinned as he retrieved his cell phone from the shelf.  “I would really like that.”  It was true.  He liked Shorter a lot already, and who was he kidding, he _really_ wanted to see more of Ash.  Even though they hadn’t interacted much yet, Eiji’s interest was thoroughly piqued.  _There’s just something about him…_


	2. Shorter Wong: Ultimate Wing Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eiji joins Ash and Shorter for lunch at Chang Dai. Shorter is absolutely convinced that Ash already has a crush on Eiji.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I really enjoyed working on this chapter so I hope you like reading it!
> 
> Enjoy! <3

Ash picked at his salad while Shorter and Eiji chattered back and forth. He listened to every word while they talked, but he didn't chime in. Instead, Ash looked out the window onto the rainy street in front of Chang Dai while Eiji asked Shorter about a million questions. It was easier for Ash to just listen since he still felt kind of weird about making Eiji fall off even though he hadn’t been injured. Anyway, unlike Shorter, who could make cheerful conversation with a brick wall, it took Ash a bit to warm up to people.

 “Is this really your family’s restaurant?  That is so cool,” Eiji enthused, digging into his noodles with abandon.

“Yep!  It is!” Shorter beamed.  “My sister Nadia is an incredible cook.  And I’m not so bad myself.”  Shorter preened at Eiji’s compliments.

“Don’t listen to him, Eiji,” Ash smirked, unable to resist joining the conversation for a chance to tease Shorter.  “He’s right that Nadia knows what she’s doing, but Shorter can’t cook his way out of a paper bag.”

“Hey!” Shorter shouted loud enough that the next table swiveled their heads to see what exactly was going on.  He crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out at Ash.  “ _Not true_!”

“Yeah, sure.  We both know you suck.  Remember the time you lit Kraft Macaroni and Cheese on _fire_?” Ash rolled his eyes and Eiji snorted with laughter.  “It’s incredible that you can be so inept when your family literally owns a restaurant.”

“Don’t listen to him, Eiji.  He’s slandering my good name,” Shorter huffed.  “Tell you what, I’ll cook for you sometime and _you_ can be the judge.”

“I would like that a lot!”  Eiji said, earnest.  Then his eyes took on an impish gleam.  “As long as you promise not to light anything on fire.”

Ash cackled and Shorter groaned and dropped his head to the table with an audible _thunk_.  _Maybe this Eiji isn’t so bad,_ Ash thought as Eiji giggled, amused by the reactions his joke garnered. 

“So, Ash,” Eiji started before Ash could go back to watching the street through the window.  “How long have you been riding horses for?”

“For as long as I can remember, really,” Ash replied.  He was taken a little of guard by Eiji’s question since it seemed like he’d been more interested in talking to Shorter.  “I’ve kind of just always done it, I guess.”  He shrugged.

“Wow!  That is really cool,” Eiji gushed.  “No wonder you can ride so well.”

In spite of himself, Ash felt his cheeks going pink as he rubbed a hand along the back of his neck.  He knew he was a good rider, so why was he so pleased that some random beginner thought so?

“You should look up videos of him riding on YouTube, Eiji.  There’s a bunch,” Shorter said, cocking an eyebrow in a way that told Ash he was being a menace on purpose.

“Really?  I will look tonight!”

“ _Shorter_ ,” Ash hissed, then turned to Eiji.  “It’s not that interesting, I promise.”

“It sounds interesting to me,” Eiji smiled.  “Is it videos of you in competitions?”

“Yep,” Shorter interjected, popping the ‘p’ sound, before Ash could say anything.  “There are videos of him riding at lots of big shows and stuff.  Don’t listen to Ash, he’s just being modest.  You should really check them out.  You can find ’em if you search up ‘Aslan Callenreese’ since that’s his real name.”  Shorter made eye contact with Ash and flashed him a toothy grin.  Ash shot him a look that he hoped conveyed the message “ _I’m going to strangle you later or so help me._ ”

Ash’s heart flip flopped when he saw Eiji pull out his phone to note down the name. He couldn’t decide if he was more annoyed at Shorter for starting this or weirdly thankful. He’d have been lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying the attention from Eiji. _Why do I even care?_ Ash wondered. _It’s really not that exciting and I doubt he’s going to watch them anyway._

 “Did I spell it right?” Eiji asked, holding the phone up for Ash to see.  He had typed “Aslan Calenreese” in the notes section of his phone.

“No, but close.  There’s two ‘L’s in Callenreese,” Ash corrected and Eiji nodded, sticking the tip of his tongue out of the corner of his mouth as he struggled to get the cursor in the right place to add the other ‘L.’  _Cute,_ Ash thought and found his cheeks going pink all over again for reasons he couldn’t quite discern.  When he saw the look Shorter was giving him it took all his restraint not to start pouting. 

“I will look them up tonight for sure,” Eiji said with a nod.  “It will be fun to see.”

“Hey, Eiji, give me your phone and I’ll put my number in,” Shorter said. “You just have the number for the riding stable.  And I’ll give you Ash’s, too, while I have it.”

“Thank you,” Eiji said, handing the phone over.  “That would be great.”

“No problem, bro.  You seem like a cool guy,” Shorter smiled.  “We should hang out again like this sometime.  Like I said before, since you’re an exchange student we’d be happy to show you around.  Right, Ash?”

“Oh, uh yeah.  Definitely,” Ash said, bringing his focus back to the conversation at hand.  He’d been too busy dwelling on the fact that Eiji would have his number to pay too much attention to what Shorter said.

“Thanks so much!  I would enjoy that a lot.  I have been so busy with school that I have not gotten out much,” Eiji laughed, looking a little embarrassed.  “Now that the semester is almost over it would be nice to get more familiar with the area and have some fun.  I will text both of you later so that you have my number, too.”

“Perfect,” Shorter smiled back, then looked at the time on his phone.  “Shoot, sorry to rush everyone but my next student is coming before too long so we gotta dash.”  He stood up from the table and started for the door.

“Wait, what about the bill?” Eiji called to him.

“Don’t worry about it, dude.  It’s my restaurant so it’s on the house,” Shorter replied with a wave of his hand. 

“That is very kind of you,” Eiji said with a smile.  “I will still leave a tip for the waiter, though, if that is okay.”  Before Shorter could reply, Eiji took out his wallet and left what amounted to a generous tip the table.  _God, he’s even a gentleman,_ Ash thought, leaving his own tip.  _People don’t usually think to do that when Shorter says it’s on the house.  I always do it but Shorter says I’m pretty much the only one._

“Much appreciated, my dude,” Shorter said, clearly pleased, and flashed Ash a thumbs up when he could tell Eiji wasn’t looking.  Ash just rolled his eyes, refusing to give Shorter the satisfaction of agreeing with him after the stunt with telling Eiji to look him up on YouTube. 

Outside the restaurant, the three of them gathered on the sidewalk to say goodbye. They stood under the safety of the awning that decorated the shop next to Chang Dai to stay out of the rain. Eiji had taken his own car since Ash and Shorter were headed back to the stable after lunch. Ash didn’t really have much to do there since he’d already exercised Seymour, but he figured he could at least clean his tack. He found cleaning tack relaxing, and he had some things he wanted to think over. Or maybe rustle up a ride on another horse before he went back home.

 “Well, I will see you guys on Friday when I come for my next lesson then,” Eiji said as he got into his car.  “I had a lot of fun.  Riding and at lunch, too!”  He clarified.

“Likewise,” Shorter said, giving Eiji a fist bump on the way to Ash’s red sports car.  He nudged Ash, breaking his train of thought.

“Oh, me too.  It was nice,” Ash said.  His heart fluttered when Eiji beamed back at him. 

“I am really glad!” Eiji said, then he closed his door and drove off with a wave.

“He drives like a freaking _grandma_ ,” Ash said, watching Eiji drive through the center of town at what seemed to Ash like a snail’s pace.

“Well not everyone hauls ass through the village like they’re doing the Indy fucking Five Hundred like some people I could name.” Shorter gave Ash a pointed look as he buckled his seatbelt. Suddenly, his expression turned devious. “And maybe he does drive like an eighty-year-old lady, but I’m pretty sure you already have a big crush on him. Am I right or am I right?”

 “ _Wrong,_ ” Ash huffed.  “I do not.  He just seems nice, that’s all.  Anyway, we just _met_ him.”

“The fact that you spent half the lunch blushing says otherwise,” Shorter said, wiggling his eyebrows.  “And you’re even blushing _right now_!”

“Do you _want_ to walk back to the barn?  Because I will happily kick you out of this car right now,” Ash groused, tightening his fingers around the steering wheel.  “I don’t have a crush on Eiji.  Neither of us know anything about him.  For all we know he’s a jerk or something.”

“Whatever you say, Ash,” Shorter said, looking so smug that Ash was tempted to make good on his promise to abandon him on the roadside to walk back in the rain. 

Rather than dignify Shorter’s ribbing with a proper reply, Ash just shook his head. The corners of his mouth turned downwards into a pout. _I don’t have a crush on him._ _He’s cute as hell, and he seems really nice._ _And he’s got pretty eyes._ _And he’s nice to be around._ _But that doesn’t mean I have a crush on him._ But the way his heart beat a little faster just thinking about Eiji made him wonder if he wasn’t lying to himself.  Just a little bit.

~*~

Eiji sat by himself at the kitchen table in his apartment with his laptop open while he ate the omelet he’d made himself for dinner. Usually he wasn’t one to be on the computer while eating, but he couldn’t wait to check out the videos of Ash that Shorter had told him about. Even though he’d spent more time talking to Shorter while Ash spent most of lunch staring out the window looking serious, Eiji was intrigued. There was just something about Ash that piqued his interest even though he couldn’t quite put his finger on _what._ Sure, he was gorgeous, but there was something else, too. Whatever that something was, it made Eiji want to get to know him. _I guess he is a little shy or something, but he seemed more comfortable by the end,_ Eiji mused.

 “A-S-L-A-N C-A-L-L-E-N-R-E-E-S-E,” Eiji mumbled, spelling the name out loud as he typed it, consulting the note on his phone to make sure that he got it right.  “Go,” he said, clicking the search button.  His eyebrows shot up.  There were _way_ more videos than he expected.  When Shorter said there were a “bunch,” Eiji guessed he meant a dozen or so, but there were _pages_ of them.  He scrolled through, looking at the thumbnails.  In most of them, it looked like Ash was riding Seymour, but there were some other horses mixed in as well. 

Eiji clicked on one at random called “Aslan J. Callenreese and Banana Fish Winter Equestrian Festival Speed Stake Winning Round” from a couple of months ago.  The video started with the camera panning over an enormous arena full of colorful jumps.  They were so tall that if Eiji hadn’t watched Olympic horseback riding on television before, he would have thought it was impossible for a horse to leap over them, carrying a rider no less. 

Wherever the competition was, it was somewhere warm judging by the palm trees and the clothes the spectators wore. It was nighttime so bright lights illuminated the arena and the hill the audience gathered on. Then the camera person panned away from the crowd and over to Ash and Seymour. Ash wore white britches and tall black boots with a navy coat that had a royal blue collar and bright gold buttons. Seymour’s equipment gleamed, and he wore what looked like a little blue hat that covered his ears and forehead. It was a perfect match for the collar of Ash’s form fitting coat and the piping on the edges of Seymour's saddle pad. Eiji made a mental note to ask what Seymour’s hat was and what it was for the next time he was at the barn. His mane was done up in tiny, perfectly neat braids that showed off his muscular neck. He pranced forward, bursting with energy. _Wow, they look amazing_ , Eiji thought, omelet forgotten in front of him. _Especially Ash, he looks so intense._

Seymour jogged sideways, tossing his head, but Ash quieted him by stroking his neck.  Suddenly, a loud buzzer cut through the air and Seymour leaped into a canter, twitching his tail with nervous energy.  Ash sat lightly in the saddle, guiding Seymour with near imperceptible movements. 

“Our next pair is Aslan J. Callenreese and his horse ‘Banana Fish.’ Banana Fish is a nine-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding, making him one of the younger horses in the class. At seventeen, Aslan is also one of the youngest riders participating in today’s speed stake. Don’t let their ages fool you, though, this pair is one of the top contenders this evening. Let’s see if they can stay clear and catch Georgina Bloomberg’s time of fifty-nine point nine,” the announcer said as Ash and Seymour approached the first jump. _Banana Fish?_ _Isn’t his name Seymour?_ Eiji wondered. _That must be a special name for competitions or something._

The jump was tall and upright, with purple and white striped poles. Seymour and Ash looked small as they approached it, but they both exuded confidence. Ash held Seymour back until a few strides before the jump, and then let him explode forward. Ears pricked forward, Seymour seemed eager to face down the obstacle. The palomino horse rocked back on his haunches then launched himself over the jump, clearing it with room to spare. Rising in his saddle and bringing his upper body forward, Ash hung low over Seymour’s back, following his movement through the air over the fence.

Eiji wished the camera would zoom in closer so he could get a better look at Ash’s facial expression. _What must it feel like jumping something that high on a horse?_ _Is it like pole-vaulting? How ever it feels, it must be incredible,_ Eiji thought, attention rapt on the video as Ash and Seymour raced towards the next jump together. They cleared it handily even though it looked even bigger and more intimidating than the first one they tackled.

“If they can keep up this speed without knocking any poles, Callenreese should have no trouble taking the lead,” the announcer said, clearly becoming excited watching Ash’s round.  Even though he was just watching it over a video, Eiji could feel his own heart rate increasing as he watched Ash ride.  _I have never seen anything like it!  He is amazing!  I know he wins from the title of the video, but I cannot take my eyes off him!_

“They’re coming up to the triple combination now,” the announcer explained. “The triple has given quite a few teams some trouble tonight and not many horses and riders have navigated it successfully. Remember, this has been riding best as one-to-a-three, but it’s quite a long three. Some teams have tried to make it through in four, but it hasn't panned out. Let’s see if Callenreese and Banana Fish are up to the challenge.” Eiji held his breath when the camera showed what apparently constituted the triple combination. There were three jumps in a row, all relatively close to each other. The first two especially seemed like there would only be room for one stride in between them. Eiji didn’t know what the commentator meant by all the numbers he’d said, but it wasn’t hard to see that the three jumps would be a big challenge.

Ash slowed Seymour down a little coming up to the first fence, but the horse still moved with tremendous power. He surged over the first fence, landed, and took one quick stride before rocketing over the next fence. Then Eiji saw Ash urge Seymour forward in the approach to the third fence. Seymour responded, making his stride longer as he flew towards the last jump. It was bigger and wider than the other two, made of two sets of fences and poles one in front of the other rather than just one set. Even though the announcer said the combination was hard, Seymour sailed out of it, effortless.

“ _Beautiful_ ride from Callenreese through that triple! One fence to go. Will they be able to hang on for it and stay clear over the final oxer?” The announcer exclaimed. Ash stood off his stirrups a little and pushed Seymour into a loose, open gallop. Even though sweat had started to darken the horse’s golden neck and shoulders, he responded keenly, lengthening his step. A few strides out from the last fence, which looked much like the last jump in the triple, except perhaps even wider and taller, Ash balanced Seymour back, collecting his stride. He bounded over the fence like it was hardly there. Upon landing, Ash urged Seymour forward, driving him onward with his seat.  Seymour stretched out like a race horses and cruised through the timers, stopping the clock.

Ash gave him an affectionate slap on the neck to congratulate the horse on a job well done, and Seymour kicked his heels up in celebration.  Unbothered by Seymour’s bucking, Ash just laughed and brought the horse back under control after giving him a moment to play.  They both knew they’d done well.

“ _Incredible!_ What a ride from Aslan Callenreese!  And Banana Fish was jumping in top form.  Their time clocks in at fifty-seven point eight, about two seconds faster than Bloomberg.  A truly blazing time!  That will be difficult to beat.  Aslan Callenreese and Banana Fish are the team to catch with four riders left,” the announcer enthused as Ash trotted Seymour from the ring, patting him on neck again.

“Oh wow,” Eiji breathed, speaking aloud even though he was by himself.  “Shorter was not kidding when he said Ash is an incredible rider.” 

From there, Eiji went well and truly down the rabbit hole watching videos of Ash riding. He watched his first Grand Prix victory with Seymour the previous year at the Vermont Summer Festival, and saw his top three placings in three consecutive Grand Prixs at HITS on the Hudson in New York. Another top Grand Prix placing at Old Salem Farm, and a strong second place at the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament in Massachusetts had Eiji on the edge of his seat. Ash and Seymour seemed unstoppable.

He even found a video of Ash at age fourteen doing a different kind of competition. As far as Eiji could tell from what the commentator said, the score was based on Ash’s riding position, not speed and accuracy like in the other shows. In that video, Ash rode a giant black horse who seemed to float over the jumps. The announcer declared Ash “one of the most technically proficient riders we’ve seen here at the ASPCA Medal Maclay Final in recent years” and called his posture “classic and just about as close to perfect as anyone could reasonably hope to achieve.” Needless to say, Ash and the black horse, named Farewell to Arms, turned in the champion performance that day.

As he went farther down the list of videos, a lot of them had titles like “Aslan Callenreese and Banana Fish Fan Edit” and featured video compilations of Ash and Seymour edited together to pop songs.  There was one that Eiji particularly liked set to “Don’t Bring Me Down” by ELO.  It seemed appropriate given the way Seymour cleared every fence with about a mile to spare.

“He has fans?  Wow,” Eiji said, and somehow wasn’t surprised.  Now, having seen the videos of him, Eiji would have been more surprised if he _didn’t_ have fans. 

After a while, Eiji decided to leave YouTube and just search Ash’s name on Google.  Once again, there were pages and pages of results.  He clicked on one called “Seventeen-Year-Old Show Jumping Prodigy Aslan Callenreese Clinches Yet Another Victory Aboard Banana Fish” on a website called _The Chronicle of the Horse_ that was full of glowing praise for Ash and Seymour.  The picture that accompanied the article showed the two of them flying over a huge red jump.  The article closed with the lines “It is my belief that we are watching this pair on a journey to become some of the top names in the sport of Show Jumping.  If Callenreese can already ride like this at seventeen, I cannot wait to see what he is doing in five years.  Banana Fish, too, has not even hit his prime yet at just nine years of age.  Mark my words, we will be seeing big things from this team in the years to come and I expect them to break onto the international competition scene in grand fashion at any moment.”

There was another article that Eiji really liked on the same website.  It was called “Behind the Stall Door with Banana Fish.”  The article was part of a series that gave “behind the scenes” information on top horses from what Eiji could guess.  “Banana Fish, or Seymour, as he’s known to his friends, isn’t just a top ranked show jumper.  This Swedish Warmblood gelding is also an escape artist who has perfected unlatching his stall door unless a special lock is placed on it.  He is also a tremendous sweet tooth.  Jelly doughnuts are his favorite way to celebrate after big wins!”  The article then showed a cute picture of Seymour with powdered sugar all over his whiskers as Ash fed him a doughnut. 

Next, Eiji found a blog post that offered a detailed examination of Ash’s riding style, complete with annotated photos.  The blogger concluded her post saying, “As you can see, in today’s world of lacking equitation and sloppy positions, Aslan Callenreese is a beacon of classical training and sensibilities and we could all learn from his near flawless technique.”

“Wow,” Eiji said to himself for what seemed like the twentieth time since he’d searched Ash’s name.  He figured Ash was good, but in reality he was even better than Eiji could have ever expected.  _Ash is amazing,_ he thought, blood rising in his cheeks as he looked at a photo of Ash beaming as he and Seymour led a victory lap, streaming with blue ribbons.

~*~

**From: Unknown**

**To: Ash**

**Hi Ash!  This is Eiji!** **（＾** **∇** **＾）** **I said earlier that I would text you so you would have my number, too, just in case you wanted it.  I watched some of those videos Shorter told me to look up, and it was so cool to see!  d(^_^o)**

Ash took a deep breath and started at his phone.  How could someone be that cute over text?  _Those emojis would seem corny as all hell coming from anyone else but somehow it works for him.  It’s fucking adorable._ Ash leaned his head onto the table.  _I am_ not _getting a crush, though.  Absolutely not._

**From: Shorter 🍍**

**To: Ash**

**ummmm did Eiji text you yet because he uses those like uwu emojis and im deceased.**

**To: Shorter 🍍**

**From: Ash**

**literally never say the phrase “uwu emojis” again or you really will be deceased.  but yes I did see.  it’s pretty cute I guess**

**From: Shorter 🍍**

**To: Ash**

**UWU Ash has a crush on Eiji uwu**

**To: Shorter 🍍**

**From: Ash**

**Sleep with one eye open tonight, Shorter.**

**To: Ash**

**From: Shorter 🍍**

(◡ ‿ ◡ ✿)

Ash groaned and shoved his phone away so he wouldn’t need to look at it.  _He’s wrong, I_ don’t _have a crush on Eiji._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suuuuuure, Ash. You don't have a crush at all. Keep telling yourself that ;)
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!! I had way too much fun writing the description of Ash and Seymour competing. And of course the interactions between Shorter and Ash! I am really excited to continue working on this fic :) On that note, thank for the positive reception on the first chapter, everyone! I was really excited and it meant a lot to me!
> 
> Also, I went back made some slight changes to Eiji's dialogue in the first chapter! Nothing major and everything is pretty much the same but I thought I'd give y'all a heads up.
> 
> Please be sure to let me know what you think! Comments totally make my day! I LOVE knowing your thoughts! I'm also on Twitter @pennylanewrites , so please drop by and say "hi" on there if you'd like!
> 
> I'll see you all next time! Stay lovely, my friends! <3


	3. Congratulations on Staying on the Horse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eiji has his second riding lesson and hopes he will see Ash again while he's at the stable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I am excited to be back with another chapter for you all!
> 
> Before we get started, here are a few brief warnings for the upcoming chapter (note: none of these topics are discussed in great detail and the descriptions are all pretty vague): mention of drunk driving, mention of past minor character death, extremely vague and non-detailed mention of the abuse in Ash's past
> 
> I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter!! See you in the ending notes!

Eiji walked into the barn feeling a lot more confident than he had before his first lesson. Only a few days had passed since then, but he’d already gone to the local tack store and bought himself his own set of riding gear. He’d left the store fully outfitted with a riding helmet, breeches, paddock boots, riding gloves, and half chaps.

As soon as Eiji left the stable after his first ride, he knew he wanted his own equipment.  He’d texted Shorter the day after the lesson and asked what he should purchase and where he ought to buy it. Shorter seemed surprised, yet pleased, that Eiji already wanted to get himself a full riding outfit after just one lesson. _Especially_ since Eiji wound up falling off the horse. However, Eiji knew that riding would be his new sport and he wanted to be prepared. Anyway, he _felt_ good wearing the outfit. Once he looked at himself in the fitting room mirror at the tack shop, Eiji couldn’t stop smiling.  It made him feel like he belonged at the barn and surely dressing the part had to count for something. _Kind of like dressing up and feeling self-assured to prepare for a job interview,_ Eiji thought _.  If you feel confident you will perform well._

 “Lookin’ sharp, Eiji!” Shorter said as soon as he caught sight of him.  “You weren’t kidding when you said that you wanted to get your own gear.  Good for you.”

“Thank you, Shorter!  I want to take riding seriously so I thought I should have the right equipment,” Eiji grinned at Shorter, glad that his shopping trip appeared to be a success.

“That’s what I like to hear,” Shorter nodded.  “C’mon, let’s get Puffin ready.  We’ll ride outside today since it’s a lot nicer than it was on Tuesday.”

Once Shorter had Puffin out of the stall and situated on the crossties, Eiji leaned into the horse’s neck and enjoyed his warm, horse-y scent.  Eiji already loved grooming Puffin and spending time around him. When he was searching for a barn to ride at, he had been sure to find one that taught their students about caring for the horses as well as riding them. Some of the barns he’d inquired about got the horses all ready in advance for their students and Eiji didn’t think that sounded like much fun at all. He wanted to get to know the horses, not just hop on and ride. Anyway, grooming was fun. He found brushing Puffin’s coat and combing through his mane relaxing and Puffin seemed to enjoy grooming as much as Eiji did, especially since Eiji was a quick study when it came to figuring out the spots that Puffin liked groomed best. The little grey horse responded by wiggling his upper lip with pleasure and leaning into Eiji’s touch whenever Eiji brushed one of his “sweet spots.”  He especially seemed to like having the part of his neck under his mane curried.  Eiji figured it was probably itchy being covered with all that hair.

 “He likes you already,” Shorter observed. 

“Well I like him, too,” Eiji said, stroking Puffin’s soft neck.  The horse was still shedding out his winter coat so he felt pleasantly fluffy to the touch.  Eiji also found it satisfying to brush him and see the clumps of winter hair falling out and revealing the sleek summer coat hiding underneath.  The only downside was the loose hair flying around.  Horse hair constantly managed to find its way into Eiji’s mouth even though he made every possible effort keep his hands away from his face.  Shorter laughed at him as he spluttered on an especially long and tickly hair that somehow got under his tongue.

“Ah, the joys of shedding season,” Shorter chuckled as he watched Eiji finish up grooming Puffin.  “Lucky for you he’s almost done for the year.  Believe it or not he already got finished with the worst of it earlier in the spring.  Lots of the other horses have been shedded out for a while, but Puff gets a real thick winter coat.”

“I noticed,” Eiji said, laughing once he finally managed to spit the hair out of his mouth. 

“Is he ready to be saddled up?” Shorter asked.

“I think so,” Eiji said, running the brush over Puffin’s haunches one more time for good measure while Shorter collected the saddle.

Shorter helped Eiji position the saddle pad and saddle in the correct spot on Puffin’s back.  While Eiji felt like he had gotten the hang of grooming, tacking up still seemed confusing.  There were lots of buckles and straps, some of which were supposed to be tight while others needed to be loose.  Things had to be just in the right place for the horse to be safe and comfortable, so Eiji felt relieved to have Shorter’s guidance as he learned.  From the deft way Shorter worked around Puffin, Eiji felt like he could have saddled the horse up blindfolded and been completely fine.  _I hope I can have enough experience to be like that someday,_ Eiji thought as he watched Shorter slip the bit into Puffin’s mouth and pull his bridle over his ears.  As he observed Shorter, he put his brand-new riding helmet on his head and pulled on his gloves.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be doing this by yourself no problem soon,” Shorter said, as if he had read Eiji’s mind.  “It’s easy once you have the hang of it, promise.  Here you go,” he added, handing Puffin’s reins to Eiji.  “Let’s bring him outside and get cracking!”

~*~

Eiji couldn’t help but feel pleased with how his lesson had gone. Puffin was easier to get going outside and Eiji was able to do a lot more trotting because of it. By the end of the lesson, Eiji could trot him in a circle around Shorter without a lunge line. Shorter told him that it would be no time flat before Eiji was going around the whole arena by himself. That made Eiji smile. Ever since his pole-vaulting injury, he’d struggled with the nagging suspicion that he was a bit useless, so catching onto riding so quickly made him feel good.

The only downside to the lesson was that Ash hadn’t appeared.  For the whole ride, Eiji kept an eye half turned to the gate, hoping that he’d see Ash come riding through it on Seymour.  Ever since the lunch they’d shared earlier in the week, Eiji couldn’t get him out of his head.  _I was really hoping I’d see him again today…_

Eiji had texted him a few times, but unlike Shorter, Ash wasn’t especially chatty over text. He hoped that Ash just didn’t like texting, not that he didn’t like _Eiji._ In an effort not to pester him, Eiji stopped sending messages. If he could see Ash in person, though, he’d be able to gauge if Ash actually thought he was annoying or not. Or at least Eiji hoped he could tell.

 “Great job today, Eiji!  You didn’t even fall off!” Shorter teased as Eiji jumped down from Puffin’s back.

“That is a pretty low standard,” Eiji said with a pretend pout that made Shorter burst out laughing.

“I’m serious, though.  You’re doing a really good job!  You’ll be cantering and even jumping before too long if you keep this up,” Shorter said and clapped Eiji on the shoulder.

“Jumping?” Eiji breathed. It still felt like a distant goal, but Eiji desperately wanted to try it. Watching the videos of Ash and Seymour soaring over those huge fences had further kindled his interest in learning to jump.  It looked like flying and Eiji desperately wanted to fly again and feel like he did when he pole-vaulted.  Learning to jump would be like getting his wings back.

 “I mean, that’s still a ways off, but if you keep working hard you’ll be jumping before you even know it,” Shorter said with a thumbs up.  “Hey, my next lesson is already coming out to the ring.  Do you think you can get Puffin squared away by yourself?  If you need help, you can ask anyone around and they’ll give you a hand.”  Shorter gestured at a girl leading a rangy looking chestnut horse out of the stable.

“Yeah!  I can do it,” Eiji responded with a quick nod.  “Thanks for lesson, Shorter.”

“Any time, buddy!”

As he lead Puffin back to the barn, Eiji thought back to how Shorter had shown him to untack Puffin after his last lesson.  _I think I can remember how,_ Eiji mused, _taking all the equipment off is definitely easier than putting it on, anyway._ Puffin ambled along beside him, unconcerned.

“Door,” Eiji called, standing outside of the main entrance to the barn.

“You’re clear, come in,” a familiar voice replied and Eiji immediately brightened.

“Hi, Ash,” Eiji smiled when he caught sight of Ash.  He had Seymour on the cross ties, grooming the horse’s golden coat.  Today, Ash wasn’t dressed in riding clothes, just jeans and a black t-shirt.  “Not riding today?”

“No, I’m giving Seymour the day off.  I jumped him a lot yesterday so I want him to rest his legs,” Ash explained.  “Where’s Shorter?  Did he abandon you?” Ash asked with the hint of a smirk playing around his mouth.

“His next lesson came out early.  I said I could take care of Puffin myself,” Eiji said, trying to sound a little more confident than he felt.  Now that he actually had Puffin in the aisle and could see all the buckles he had to contend with, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to replicate Shorter’s process as well as he’d hoped to.

“Ask if you need help figuring anything out,” Ash said.  “I’m just brushing Sey so I don’t mind.”

“Thank you!  I will let you know,” Eiji said, collecting Puffin’s halter from the hook outside of his stall and contemplating the bridle.  _Now which buckles am I supposed to undo?  There are so many!  I think it is this one…_

“I take it you went to the tack shop?  I like the clothes you picked out,” Ash said.  “They look nice.” Eiji jumped a little in surprise.  He hadn’t really expected Ash to actually converse with him, not after the stilted text messages.  And he _definitely_ hadn’t expected Ash to compliment him.  Ash seemed so cool and well put together that Eiji could hardly imagine Ash being impressed with him in any way.  _Surely he is just trying to be nice to me,_ Eiji thought.  When Eiji turned to face him, it even looked like Ash was starting to _blush._ Catching Eiji’s eye for a moment, Ash quickly turned back to Seymour and resumed combing out his mane.

“T-thank you!” Eiji said, attempting to stop his own cheeks from reddening.  To occupy his hands, Eiji seized upon the first buckle he saw and started unfastening it.  He chose the large one on Puffin’s cheek since he felt fairly certain that he’d watched Shorter start with that one last time.    _Since it is the biggest one I guess it makes sense that I should do that one first,_ Eiji mused as he got to work on the buckle.  It seemed a little stiff, but Eiji kept at it until he’d worked the leather strap free. “Oh shoot!” He exclaimed when, upon unfastening the buckle, Puffin’s bit suddenly dropped out of his mouth and dangled there on one side.  _That definitely was_ not _supposed to happen_ , Eiji thought, half panicking as he tried to sort out how to fix his mistake.  The horse gave him a wondering look.  If Puffin could talk, Eiji imagined he’d say: _“You have no idea what you’re doing, kiddo.  Do you?”_

“What’s up?” Ash asked, looking back over at Eiji and Puffin.  Any trace of blush was gone from his face, but Eiji was certain that he, on the other hand, was a bright shade of red.  When Ash saw Puffin’s snaffle bit hanging free, he burst out laughing.  “Let me help.  That’s a common mistake.”

As soon as Ash started walking towards Eiji and Puffin, Seymour took serious offense.  He threw his head up, impetuous, and started to paw his front hoof against the concrete aisle, making a racket.

“Hush, you! I know you have better manners than that, Seymour,” Ash said in a voice that suggested he only pretended to be cross with the horse. Seymour stopped pawing his hoof, but stood with his leg suspended in the air like he was ready to start causing trouble again at any moment. “He’s the jealous type,” Ash chuckled, “He doesn’t like it when I pay attention to other horses. Or people.”

“I see that,” Eiji laughed.  “He does not want to share, I guess.” _If he is joking around with me, that must mean he does not think I am annoying, right?  And he is helping me instead of just watching me flail around…_

“He thinks he’s special,” Ash said, taking Eiji’s place by Puffin’s head and removing the bridle the right way.  Eiji watched as he did it, hoping he’d be able to replicate it next time.  “I mean, he _is_ special.  But that doesn’t mean he can be obnoxious.  Anyway, the only buckles you need to deal with are _this_ one and _this_ one.  Everything else stays fastened unless you’re adjusting the bridle or taking it apart for cleaning.”

“That makes sense,” Eiji nodded as Ash took Puffin’s halter from him and slipped it over the horse’s head and put him on the crossties. Then he redid the buckle that Eiji opened by mistake.

 “Here.  Good as new.  Let me know if you need any more help, yeah?” Ash said, handing Eiji the bridle and giving him a smile.  _That is a real smile, not a smirk,_ Eiji thought and grinned right back at Ash.  _Maybe I am making progress with him._

~*~

Usually, with the exception of the company a few people, Ash enjoyed grooming Seymour in silence. He wanted to work with his horse, not make small talk, _especially_ if the person was trying to suck up to him due to his success in the show ring. Somehow, though, Ash found himself enjoying chatting with Eiji even though they’d met only a few days before. It was… nice. Eiji didn’t try to impress him or fish for compliments or do any of the annoying things new people so often did when they talked to Ash. He just treated him like a regular person. _It’s a refreshing difference,_ Ash thought to himself during a lull in the conversation. _I was a little worried that he’d be a pain in the ass when he texted me about watching the videos, but I guess he really was doing it to be nice._

 “So the lesson went well today?  No unplanned dismounts?”  Ash said, unable to resist the temptation to tease Eiji a little.  His efforts were rewarded with another blush from Eiji.

“I stayed on this time,” Eiji laughed.  “And I thought it was good!  Shorter says I am making fast progress, but there seems like so much to learn.  Riding is more complicated than I expected it to be,” Eiji said as he removed Puffin’s saddle.  Ash was ready to jump in and help if the need arose, but Eiji seemed to have an easier time with the saddle than the bridle since there weren’t nearly as many buckles to choose from.

“A former coach of mine used to always say that with riding horses the more you learn the more you realize you have left to learn,” Ash said, still working a comb through Seymour’s silky mane. 

“That is good advice.  I wish I did not need to wait until my next lesson to practice more,” Eiji said and Ash paused for a second, comb hovering by the crest of Seymour’s neck.

“Well, maybe you don’t need to wait.  What would you say to coming on a trail ride with me?” Ash said, surprising himself.  _Where did_ that _come from?_ He wondered, questioning the sudden impulse even though it _was_ a good idea.  Hopefully.

“Now?” Eiji asked.  His eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, sure.  I know I said I was giving Sey the day off, but a short trail ride isn’t hard work and he’d probably like to get out.  He’s not really the sitting around type,” Ash explained, stroking Seymour’s shoulder.  "And I don't need proper riding clothes for a light trail ride."

“I would love to!”  Eiji exclaimed, but then he pursed his lips.  “But Puffin already had his exercise and I would not want to borrow him without asking permission.”

“Don’t worry about it.  I never meant for you to take Puffin.  You can ride my pony,” Ash offered, and Eiji looked skeptical.

“You have a pony, too?  I thought ponies were for kids because they are small,” Eiji said, cocking his head.  _God, he looks cute when he does that…_

“Poet is my pony from when I was a kid.  He’s mostly retired now since he’s about a million years old but I still own him.  And anyway, plenty of adults ride ponies.  You’re short, you’ll be fine,” Ash shrugged.  Eiji puffed his cheeks out and looked offended.

“I am _not_ short.  Back home my height is average,” he pouted and Ash couldn’t help but snicker a little.

“Regardless, you’re shorter than me and _I_ still take him out on the trail from time to time so don’t worry about it.  Do you want to come or not?”  Ash asked, half afraid that Eiji would say no.    _Why do I care so much?  I just met him,_ Ash thought, hoping that Eiji would want to come along.  However, Ash needn’t have worried because Eiji snapped out of his pout immediately.

“Yes!”  Eiji beamed at him.  “I would love to come!”

“Perfect.  Finish up with Puffin and then we’ll go get Poet ready.”

~*~

“He is a very beautiful pony,” Eiji smiled and pet Poet on his wide forehead.  Like Ash told him, the pony was obviously quite old, but he remained handsome even in his advanced years.  Poet was a dark chestnut with a perfectly formed white diamond on his forehead and two short socks on his hind legs.  His face and the hollows above his eyes were sprinkled with white hairs, as was his body, a clue at his age. 

“Thanks,” Ash smiled.  “He means a lot to me.  We’ve been together for a long time.”  He ruffled Poet’s thick forelock with the hand that wasn’t holding Seymour’s reins.  “Ready to get on?”

Eiji nodded and led the pony to the mounting block.  He took a deep breath before he swung himself into the saddle.  Back in the barn, Ash had told him that Poet, while gentle, wasn’t quite as automatic as Puffin.  He’d assured Eiji that he’d be fine, but Eiji hoped Ash wasn’t overestimating his skills.

“He is so small!” Eiji gasped.  Sitting on Poet was a completely different sensation from being on Puffin’s back.  Even though Shorter assured him that Puffin wasn’t big, he still felt pretty large to Eiji.  Poet was a completely different story.  Eiji realized that his feet didn’t even touch Poet’s sides, instead hanging below the pony’s belly.  “I must look so silly!  Are you sure I am not hurting him?  I feel like I am too big for him,” Eiji fretted, nudging Poet to walk away from the mounting block so Ash could get on Seymour.

“You’re _fine._ Yeah, you’re a little tall on him but it’s nothing awful.  Plus you’re lightly built.  Anyway, _I_ ride him and he’s alright, and I’m certainly bigger than you are.  Ponies are strong for their size, so trust me when I tell you that you aren’t giving Poet any trouble,” Ash said.  “Come on, the trail is this way.”

Ash rode Seymour away from the barn and Eiji hurried to follow him before he got left behind.  At Eiji’s cue, Poet marched off after Seymour.  He had to walk quickly to keep pace with the larger horse, but Poet didn’t seem bothered as he walked at Seymour’s shoulder.  The pony took small, quick steps compared to Puffin, but Eiji already liked riding him.  Poet seemed like a confident, eager pony and that confidence and ease rubbed off on his rider.  Eiji focused on getting the hang of riding him as they walked down a grass track between two paddocks on the way to the woods. 

The horses seemed to know where they were headed, so they had some pep in their step as they moved from the grass track to the dirt bridle path in the forest.  Eiji looked up at Ash was they rode down the trail.  It was a beautiful trail, especially since trees were starting to bud and flower now that winter was over.  Sunlight came down through the trees and dappled his face, catching the blond hair visible from under his helmet.  _He is so handsome,_ Eiji thought and his heart leapt a little.  Before Ash could catch him staring, he pulled his gaze away and did his best to focus on where Poet was going.  As they walked, he imagined what a much younger Ash would look like riding a much younger Poet.  The mental image was nothing if not adorable.

“So you have had Poet for a long time?” Eiji asked. 

“A _very_ long time.  I’ve known him for my whole life,” Ash said, and looked down at Poet with a fond smile.  “He belonged to my big brother first, and when I grew big enough to ride Poet, Griffin gave him to me.  I worshipped Griff, so I felt so cool having his pony.”

“I did not know you had a brother,” Eiji said.  “What is he like?”

Ash bit his lip for a second, and a faraway look passed across his features for a moment before he collected himself.  “Unfortunately, he was killed in a car accident when I was twelve.  He was competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival down in Florida and he left a club in a car with someone who had been drinking. They went off the road into a tree and… yeah.”

“Oh my gosh Ash, I am sorry!  I should not have-”

Ash waved a hand at him.  “It’s okay.  You had no way of knowing.  Anyway, to answer your question, he was a great older brother.  Hell, he was the _best_ older brother.  Griffin was always just about the smartest, kindest person you could imagine and I completely adored him.  He let me tag along with him everywhere even though I was probably really annoying.  He was an amazing rider, too.  Horses just _responded_ to him.  They loved him.  Griff could get on any horse, no matter how rank it was, and figure out what made them tick in about two seconds and bring out the absolute best in them.  And he was always so patient with the horses he rode, and never rough,” Ash said with a sad smile.  “I miss him a lot.”

“I can imagine.  He sounds like a very good person.” Eiji looked up at Ash.  “Thank you for telling me about him.”

“He was.  Part of the reason why Poet is so special to me is because he’s like having a piece of Griffin around.  Plus he helped keep me sane through a… really bad time in my life,” Ash said.  He looked straight ahead through Seymour’s ears and Eiji kept quiet, sensing that Ash might want to say more.  “Without going into much detail, other than Griffin, my own family was pretty useless, to say the least, and I wound up living with someone bad after Griff died.  If I didn’t have Poet around, I don’t know what I would have done.  Long story very short, I wound up living with a foster family and the bad person _hid_ Poet before anyone could go get him and tried to sell him at a seedy horse auction.  Thankfully Max, my foster dad, went into total reporter mode and somehow found Poet before anything bad happened to him.  I’m not sure how Max pulled it off since he doesn’t know thing one about horses even though he’s married to Jessica.  Anyway, it’s Jessica who owns this stable, I don’t think I ever mentioned that.  She and Max wound up adopting me.”  Ash spoke haltingly, like he wasn’t used to telling the story out loud.

“That sounds really hard,” Eiji said.  Even though Ash, true to his word, hadn’t gone into much detail, Eiji could only imagine that whatever had happened hadn’t been good.  He could hear the hurt and the heartache as clear as day in Ash’s voice.

“Sorry for being such a downer,” Ash said, taking one hand off the reins to run his fingers over the back of his neck.

“No, do not apologize,” Eiji said, voice firm, and Ash looked down at him, shock registering in his green eyes.  Meeting Ash’s gaze, Eiji’s voice softened.  “I know you do not know me very well yet, but if you ever want to talk about it, I am here to listen. I promise.”

Ash swallowed once, Adam’s apple bobbing, then nodded.  The two of them walked on in silence.  The only sounds were the light hoofbeats of the horses on the hardpacked dirt of the trail and the occasional crunch of leftover leaves from fall.  Birds sang to each other above them in the canopy of trees.

“Hey, let’s trot.  You’ll be fine, Poet will just follow Seymour,” Ash said.  His voice was back to normal, but his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Okay,” Eiji agreed, hoping that he’d be able to keep up with Ash and control Poet out on the trail.  It was a lot different than riding in the fenced in arena in a small circle around Shorter.  He did his best to post faster to keep time with Poet’s short strides.  Even though he had to focus on Poet, Eiji’s mind wandered back to what Ash told him.

 _I know I do not know him well yet,_ Eiji thought as he and Ash trotted down the trail.  _But I swear on my life that I will be the best friend to him that I can possibly be.  I do not want him to feel alone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I really enjoyed writing it a whole lot. I apologize for the slight delay in getting this chapter up! The semester is getting to the busy point right before finals, and now that Spring has arrived I've been busy getting my horses ready for horse show season. I did write and post a new Banana Fish one shot recently, though, so please check that out if you're interested! It's called "The Hunt of the Unicorn."
> 
> Please be sure to let me know what you think! Comments quite literally make my day! I get SO happy when I see them in my inbox. You can also find me on twitter @pennylanewrites if you want to come say "hi" on there.
> 
> Stay wonderful my friends! See you next time!


	4. Don't Lock Him Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash feels awkward after opening up to Eiji and starts to avoid him. Shorter tries to convince Ash that shutting Eiji out isn't the best choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I am really excited to have a new chapter to share with you all!
> 
> Just a heads up, there is some more discussion of Ash's past and Golzine this time around, but nothing explicit.
> 
> Thanks for reading and please be sure to let me know what you think!

“And I told him about _Griffin,_ ” Ash said, sitting on Shorter’s bed, slumped against the wall.  He wrung his hands as he replayed his conversation with Eiji in his head.  Shorter’s room was kind of a mess, with riding clothes and equipment scattered around and walls plastered with horse show ribbons and music posters, but Ash liked it.  It felt comfortable and familiar and friendly, just like Shorter. 

“Really?” Shorter asked from his perch atop a wheeled office chair. For once he wasn’t spinning in endless circles until Ash got dizzy just watching him. Even though Ash appreciated Shorter’s silliness, he was glad that he could take things seriously when they were important.   _I'm so lucky to have him around,_ Ash thought. He could always depend on Shorter for a listening ear and advice when he needed it.  Granted, the advice in question could occasionally border on completely ridiculous, but Ash felt thankful, nonetheless.  “Even the crash?”

 “Yeah.  I mean, not in great _detail_ or anything.  But I told him what happened.  And I told him _about_ Griffin, too.  How nice he was, how much he meant to me.  That sort of thing,” Ash sighed and wedged his hands in between his knees so he’d quit fidgeting. 

“Why do you think you told him?” Elbows on his knees, Shorter rested his chin in his hands and cocked his head a little to one side.

 “That’s the thing.  I don’t _know._ He’s super easy to talk to, for one thing.  And he’s really nice.  But there are other nice people that I’ve known for longer and I don’t tell _them_ this shit.  You being the exception, of course.  It’s something about _him_ specifically.  I like being around him.  Hell, I even groomed Seymour on one of the sets of crossties near Puffin’s stall today because I wanted to talk to him,” Ash groaned. 

“Holy shit, bro,” Shorter said.  It was no secret that Ash usually avoided the crossties by the lesson horses’ stalls, much preferring the relative solitude of the grooming stalls in the back of the barn.

“I _know,_ ” Ash said, and buried his face in his hands.  “And I told him about the other stuff, too,” Ash added in a much smaller voice.  He was relieved that his eyes were covered so he didn’t have to see Shorter’s face. 

“The stuff with,” Shorter hesitated for a few seconds.  With his eyes hidden, Ash couldn’t see Shorter’s face but it wasn’t difficult to imagine his expression.  “Golzine?”

“Yeah,” Ash said, voice muffled.  “I mean, I hardly said anything about it.  I mostly just talked about how he tried to steal Poet and sell him after I left with Max and Jessica.  But I did bring it up.”

Shorter didn’t reply right away but Ash heard him rise from the chair and come across the room.  Ash felt the mattress sink down as Shorter joined him on the bed, sitting next to him.  He bumped his shoulder against Ash’s, and Ash sighed again and tipped sideways, resting his head on Shorter’s shoulder.  Then he stopped hiding his face in his hands. 

Other than Max and Jessica, Shorter was the only one who knew the whole story.  In fact, Ash had Shorter to thank for tipping off Jessica that something bad was happening to Ash, and then she and Max had been able to get him out of there and _far_ away from Golzine.  If Shorter hadn’t intervened, Ash didn’t even want to think about what would have happened.

Ash and Shorter had been friends for as long as he could remember.  As children, the two of them competed against each other in the pony divisions and what started out as a pitched rivalry quickly blossomed into a close friendship.  It wasn’t long at all before the two of them were as thick as thieves.  Together, Shorter and Ash explored horseshow grounds and the trails at Jessica’s barn and got into endless, though generally harmless, trouble on their ponies Poet and Dumpling. 

Then Griffin died and everything changed. 

Ever since Ash was born, he had been Griffin’s responsibility. Ash didn’t know a thing about his mother, and his father wanted nothing to do with him.  Griffin, though, had adopted a parental role for his younger brother seamlessly.  So when Griffin moved out, he took Ash with him and it was just the two of them together. Those years were the best of Ash’s life, full of his brother’s love and horses and friends. After the car crash, though, Ash went back to his father for a brief and disastrous period of several months. Jim resented having to care for a twelve-year-old child and mostly left Ash to his own devices. The interactions they did have involved lots of yelling and insults and name calling that made Ash’s heart cry out for Griffin’s gentle manner and kind ways.

Then Dino Golzine, a multimillionaire and the owner of many top show horses, approached Jim about taking Ash off his hands. The offer was made under the pretense of continuing Ash’s training in the equestrian world and providing him with a world class coach and horses.  Jim hadn’t thought twice about shuffling his son off to a stranger.

At first, Ash hadn’t thought anything could be worse than living with his father, who oscillated between indifferent and abrasive.  It wasn’t long, though, before he realized just how bad things could become.

The situation was even worse because Dino was able to cut Ash off so completely from the people who cared about him.  Ash had no contact his own friends or Griffin’s friends like Max and Jessica.  Although Golzine brought Ash back stateside for important competitions, Ash was forced to spend most of his time riding and showing in Europe, far away from everything and everyone he had ever known.  He had no phone and was monitored closely at all times.  When Ash was finally able to get away for a few moments at a horse show in New York to tell Shorter what was going on after two and a half years, Shorter acted fast.  Right away, Shorter got Max and Jessica involved and they were able to alert the proper authorities and pull Ash from Dino’s clutches.  From there, they had adopted him into their family, an act of kindness that Ash would forever appreciate it.

So only Max, Jessica, and Shorter knew just what had happened to him.  There were others who had a general sense, but those three were the only ones privy to the full story.  But Ash still almost never said a word about it to any of them.  He knew he’d never forget those years, but he wanted to _desperately._ Ignoring it as much as he could was far easier than the alternative of attempting to confront everything that had happened, everything that had been done to him.

“I barely know him. I don’t even know why I said anything to him,” Ash said in a voice that was scarcely more than a whisper. “It surprised me that I did.”

“Well, I think Eiji seems like the type to be a really good listener.  So I can see why you wanted to open up to him,” Shorter said, draping a reassuring arm around Ash’s shoulders.  “I think he could be really good for you, Ash.  I don’t know him that well either, but I can tell Eiji is a very kind person.”

“No one should have to hear about this shit, though.  He doesn’t need that kind of burden.  I wish I’d never even told him.  It was selfish of me,” Ash said, heart aching at the thought.  “I even feel bad that _you_ had to get involved in that whole disaster.”

“Ash.  Do _not_ feel bad about it.  I would have done _anything_ and then some to get you out of there and I certainly don’t feel burdened at all.  And you shouldn’t feel bad about telling Eiji, either, for the record.  Anyway, anything I can ever do to help you, I’m gonna do it.  No questions asked,” Shorter said, suddenly firm.  He turned so he could look Ash in the eye.  “You’re my best friend Ash.  I have your back no matter what.  And I know you have mine, too.”

“Of course I do.  But it’s _different,_ ” Ash said. 

“It really isn’t, Ash.  Nothing that happened was your fault _at all._ None of it.  You deserve help understanding just as much as anyone else does,” Shorter sighed.  “And I’m willing to bet that Eiji would feel the same way, yeah?”

Ash’s only reply was a noncommittal mumble.  He knew deep down that Shorter was right, but that didn’t mean it was easy to accept it.  _I still feel like a burden…_

“Look, Ash, please don’t try and chase Eiji off because you’re worried about this.  I know how you work, bro, and I see all the signs,” Shorter said and squeezed his shoulder.  “Let yourself be happy.”

Ash bit his lip. 

_We’ll see.  Maybe Shorter really is right, but… we’ll see._

~*~

Eiji didn’t have a riding lesson booked for Saturday, but Shorter had already given him the all clear to come by the barn regardless. Even though the end of the semester was barreling towards him at an alarming rate, Eiji was all caught up, if not ahead, on his assignments. _The perks of a non-existent social life,_ he thought wryly. Plus Ibe-san was away for the weekend visiting friends so Eiji didn’t have any internship work to contend with either. Given his free schedule, Eiji didn’t think there was anywhere he’d have rather spent his Saturday than at the stable enjoying the spring weather. After two weeks of taking riding lessons, Eiji was really starting to feel like he fit in around the barn and he wanted to be there as much as possible.

Plus, Eiji was itching to get some pictures of the horses.  He’d never really photographed animals before, but he wanted to try.  The photographs he’d seen in the articles about Ash had inspired him.  _Maybe Ash will be riding Seymour and I can take photographs of them,_ Eiji thought, _I really hope I can…_

If Eiji was being honest with himself, he wanted to take pictures of Ash even more than he wanted to photograph Seymour. It would be a lot less awkward to ask about taking photos of Ash _with_ Seymour than it would be just to ask Ash to model for him on his own, though. Eiji counted himself lucky that Seymour would provide a convenient excuse to get Ash in front of his camera.

Eiji put his camera strap around his neck and hopped out of the car. He didn’t even bother going into the barn because he could already see Ash and Shorter riding together in one of the outdoor arenas. Ash and Seymour walked beside Shorter and his horse, and Shorter laughed at something he said. Shorter’s horse was a large black and white pinto mare named “Discotheque Juliet,” though Shorter just called her “Disco” around the barn. According to Shorter, the name came from the lyrics of a song by the band “Walk the Moon.” He had introduced Eiji to Disco after one of his earliest lessons, but this was the first time Eiji had seen Shorter ride her. The mare was taller and more sturdily built than Seymour, making the palomino’s build look even more lithe by comparison.

Neither of them had noticed Eiji approaching yet, so Eiji snapped a candid photo of Ash and Shorter riding side by side. 

“Hey, Eiji!” Shorter waved as soon as he caught sight of him.  Ash waved, too, but the gesture appeared tinged with uncertainty.

“Hello Shorter!  Hello Ash!”  Eiji called back.  “Did you just get on?”

“Yep!  We’re just warming up.  After that we’ll do some jumping since there’s a horse show next weekend,” Shorter explained, riding Disco over to the fence where Eiji stood.  The friendly mare snorted into Eiji’s dark hair and tickled his face with her long whiskers.  Eiji laughed and caressed her velvety nose.  “Could we coerce you into being our jump crew?  Skipper was going to do it but he disappeared on us. He said he was just going to the tack room, but he’s been gone _forever._ ”

“Of course!  As long as you tell me what to do,” Eiji said.  He watched as Ash worked Seymour on a circle a little ways from the fence.  It was clear that he was listening to the conversation  between Eiji and Shorter, but he made no move to participate.  “And if it is okay, could I take some pictures?”

“Sure thing.  I almost forgot that you were a photography student.  What do you think, Ash?” Shorter said and Ash finally rode closer and parked Seymour next to Disco.

“Fine by me,” Ash replied.  His voice sounded stiff, and Shorter gave him a brief, pleading look that Ash seemed to ignore completely.  Ever since Ash had opened up to him on the trail ride last week, Eiji noticed that he seemed to be right back to treating Eiji like a stranger.  He was polite but that easy familiarity they’d shared as they groomed their horses together after Eiji’s second lesson seemed to have disappeared.  Eiji just hoped it wasn’t gone for good.  While he hadn’t known Ash for long, Eiji felt drawn to him and the frosty treatment was hurting his feelings, especially since he couldn’t figure out what he’d done to cause it.

“Thank you for letting me take the pictures,” Eiji said, smiling.  Shorter grinned back but Ash’s angular face remained impassive.  “I can send you all of them afterwards and edit the best ones.”

“Sounds great, buddy.  And don’t worry about being jump crew.  It’s easy.  You’ll catch on fast.”  Shorter flashed a thumbs up at him.  With that, Shorter and Ash rode their horses back out to the rail and Eiji let himself into the ring and positioned himself by a jump standard.  It gave him a good view of the arena and he snapped photos of Shorter and Ash both whenever they came past.

“Hey!  Who’s that?  I was going to be jump crew!” Someone hollered from beside the arena.  A young boy, Eiji estimated that he couldn’t have been older than twelve or so, appeared at the gate.

“You snooze you lose, Skip!” Ash said, teasing.  His voice much more animated than he’d been a few moments before.

“Yeah, Skipper, Eiji stole your job!”  Shorter chimed in, voice sing-song.

“But Ash said he’d give me a jumping lesson later if I helped out,” the boy, apparently named Skipper, groaned.  “I want me and Turtle to do well at the horse show next weekend.”

“Aw, we’re just messing with you, kiddo,” Shorter laughed, unable to keep the joke going at Skipper’s expense.  “Eiji’s new, so you can show him the ropes, yeah?”

“And you’ll still help me with Turtle?”  Skipper asked, fixing Ash with a hopeful expression,

 “Of _course_ I’ll still help you with Turtle,” Ash laughed. “I'm not _that_ mean.” He rode up to Skipper and leaned over to ruffle his afro as Skipper beamed up at him. Eiji snapped a photo. “Now go help Eiji. He’s never done this before.”  
Skipper didn’t need to be told twice. He let himself in through the gate and trotted over to Eiji.

“Hi! I’m Skipper! But you can also call me Skip,” He smiled at Eiji and extended a hand.

“I am Eiji. It is nice to meet you, Skip,” Eiji said and shook his hand. Even though Skipper was much younger than him, he seemed confident and self-assured.  From Eiji's first impression of him he seemed like a sweet kid, too.   

“Shorter says you’re new here?” He asked, standing next to Eiji as they watched the horses circle the arena to warm up for jumping. 

“I am!  I am here from Japan to study and I decided to start horseback riding,” Eiji explained.

“Wait!  I know who you are!  Didn’t you fall off during your first lesson with Shorter?” Skip said, looking so excited by the revelation that Eiji couldn’t help but blush, sheepish.

“Heh, well, that _did_ happen,” Eiji laughed and ran a hand over the back of his neck.

“No _way_!  Good for you for sticking with it.”  Skip looked impressed.  “I think a lot of people would have probably quit if that happened to them on their first ride.”

Eiji shrugged.  “It was not a bad fall and I had fun the rest of the time.”

“Still!”

Eager to turn the conversation away from himself and his tumble, Eiji asked Skip a question before he could continue down that particular rabbit hole.  “Is Turtle your horse?”

Skipper bobbed his head with enthusiasm. “Turtle is my pony! My parents got him for me for my birthday last year. He’s sooooo great. The name is a joke because he’s _really_ fast. I show him in the Pony Jumpers and Ash always helps me out with him. I mean, Jessica is technically my coach, so she helps me a lot too, but I love when Ash gives me lessons. Isn’t Ash _so cool_?” Skipper asked.

 “He is,” Eiji agreed, smiling at Skipper. _A classic case of hero worship!_ Eiji thought fondly as he watched Skipper staring at Ash from across the arena. He could remember thinking like that about the older boys on the track team when he was a kid. “That is very nice that he helps you with your pony.”

 “Yeah!” Skipper agreed.  “He’s the best.  I want to ride just like he does when I’m older!”

“I am sure that you will be able to!  Especially with him helping you.  Here, look at this,” Eiji said, scrolling through the photos he’d already taken until he found the one of Ash and Skipper together.

“Wow!  Did you just do that?”  Skipper asked and Eiji nodded.  He practically glowed as he looked at the photograph of him and his idol, and Eiji was glad that he had taken the picture.  “Your pictures are really good!  If I give you my mom’s number do you think you could send that picture to her once it’s off your camera?”

“Absolutely,” Eiji said and Skipper beamed at him.

“Hey, maybe you could take pictures of me riding Turtle sometime?” Skipper asked, and just as Eiji was about to agree, Shorter cut him off.

“Enough yakking, you two!  We’re gonna start jumping,” Shorter called.  “Don’t forget to teach Eiji how to set the jumps, Skip!”

“What do you wanna start on?”  Skip asked.

“Drop that vertical you’re standing near three holes and we’ll use that as our warm up fence,” Ash said, pointing at the jump. 

“Okay!” Skip said, then demonstrated for Eiji how to adjust the height of the fence.  It was easy enough when there was just one fence to contend with, but as the jumping session continued, the pace Eiji and Skipper had to keep up increased until Eiji felt like he was scrambling.  Eiji didn’t realize how many jumps were in the arena until he had to dash between them all, raising or lowering poles, widening spreads, and adjusting filler.  Plus, commands like “raise the back rail on the oxer in the triple combination by three and widen the spread” may as well have been in a different language than English to Eiji.  For Skipper, though, the instructions seemed automatic.  “I set jumps for Ash and Shorter all the time,” Skip explained.  “It’s easy when you get the hang of it.  Anyway, believe it or not they’re going pretty slow.  Try doing this in the schooling area at a horse show!”

Still, Eiji was able to take plenty of photos in between adjusting the fences.  At first, it was tricky timing his shots just right but once he got a handle on the jumping rhythm of each horse it all started to come together.  It was very different from the photography he usually did, but Eiji enjoyed the challenge of it.  There were some of Ash and Seymour that he was particularly pleased with.  The green of Ash’s polo shirt matched the jump standards and poles of the oxer that Seymour soared over, ears pricked and knees snapped high.  The big fields and flowering trees in the background made it even better.  Eiji took a moment to scroll through the photos and admire his work until Skipper broke him out of his thoughts.

“Hurry up, Eiji!  We need to go up two on the in-and-out!” Skipper said, waving him over. 

“Coming!” Eiji jogged to meet him.  _It is probably good that I’m learning the names of all the kinds of jumps,_ he mused, _since I want to learn how to jump them someday, too._

The jumping session was over all too quickly for Eiji.  He could have stood in the arena and snapped photos of his friends all day.  Especially of Ash and Seymour.  The palomino’s dappled coat gleamed in the sun and Eiji loved how his silky white mane and tail streamed out behind him as he launched himself through the air.  Not to mention the fact that he couldn’t get enough of the focused expression on Ash’s face as he guided his horse around the course of jumps. 

“Skip, have you seen Turtle yet today?” Ash said, riding over to where Skipper and Eiji stood.

“No, not yet. I came right to find you guys after Dad dropped me off.  Why?” Skipper asked, looking confused.

 “Well, if you want me to give you a lesson on him you’d better go get started with him.  He’s with the other ponies in the back field and when I saw him earlier he was already covered head to toe in mud,” Ash said, laughing. 

“Aw, really?” Skipper looked dismayed.

“Yup, I was with Ash so I saw him, too.  He’s managed to get himself completely filthy.  You’ve got a _lot_ of grooming ahead of you, kiddo,” Shorter snickered.

“Darn it!  I’d better go get him then.  It was nice to meet you, Eiji!  You should watch my lesson if you’re still here for it,” Skipper said over his shoulder as he left the ring to retrieve Turtle from the paddock.

“I would like that,” Eiji smiled and Skip responded with a thumbs up as he went out the gate.

“What time is it, Eiji?” Shorter asked once Skipper was gone. 

“It’s ten thirty,” Eiji said, checking his phone.

“Shoot!  My next lesson will be here any second.  Say, could you cool out Disco for me?  I’d owe you one!” Shorter said, already hopping down from the saddle. 

“You mean _ride_ her?” Eiji said, incredulous.

“Yup!” Shorter confirmed.

“I do not even have riding clothes on!” Eiji protested.  “And she is _huge_!”

Shorter laughed, already shortening his stirrups to accommodate Eiji. “You’re just walking her out so all you need is a helmet and you can borrow mine. Here.” He unbuckled his helmet and plopped it onto Eiji’s head. “She’s not a fresh horse unless you’re jumping, so you’ll be _totally_ fine. And she’s _perfectly_ relaxed right now since she’s tired out from schooling. Disco won’t give you any trouble. Will you girl?” Shorter asked his horse, planting a kiss on her soft nose. Disco responded by lipping at Shorter’s purple mohawk with affection. “Plus, Ash will be right here to help if you need it. I’ll take your camera and put it in Ash’s tack box for you.”

Eiji looked up at Ash on Seymour as he relinquished his camera to Shorter.  Ash’s expression looked bored, if anything, but Eiji could see tension in his bright green eyes. 

“O-okay,” Eiji said, following Shorter as he led Disco over to the mounting block.  _At least I will be able to talk to Ash since he will not be able to avoid me now,_ Eiji thought as he swung himself into the saddle, marveling at the height of the horse now that he was on her back.  She felt even larger than she looked when Shorter rode her.  _Hopefully I can clear up whatever is bothering him.  I just hope I did not do anything to make him dislike me._

~*~

“Loosen your reins and let her have her head,” Ash said as he and Eiji circled the ring next to each other.  Disco tossed her head, fussy, and Eiji looked a little pale up there on her back.  The mare had a solid couple of hands on Puffin, never mind Poet, so no doubt she felt gigantic to Eiji.  Shorter wasn’t a small guy, though, so a big horse like Disco suited him well.  Eiji, on the other hand, looked like a child on her.  _Freaking Shorter.  I know he’s just doing this so I need to talk to Eiji,_ Ash thought.  _He’s so obvious.  I know he doesn’t have a lesson till eleven thirty anyway.  Liar._ “I know you’re nervous because she’s big, but you can’t choke up on her reins like that.  She doesn’t like it.”

“Sorry!” Eiji squeaked, letting the reins slide through his fingers and get longer.  Disco sighed with contentment and stretched her neck out.  As soon as Eiji stopped pulling on her, she stopped shaking her head.

“Don’t apologize.  It’s fine,” Ash said, twisting his fingers through Seymour’s mane as they walked.  It had been one thing being with Eiji when Shorter and Skip were around, but now that it was the two of them alone, he felt conflicted.  He didn’t _want_ to ignore Eiji, but he wasn’t about to spill his guts to him again.  The look on Eiji’s face wasn’t hard to read, though.  _It’s obvious that he thinks he fucked up somehow.  But it wasn’t anything_ he _did,_ Ash thought, resisting the urge to bite his lip.  _This whole issue is my fault.  I don’t like seeing him look sad and worried like that, though._

“Um, I’m looking forward to seeing the pictures that you took,” Ash offered, unable to let Eiji go on feeling bad.  He was rewarded with a bright smile from Eiji.

“I am glad!  I have never taken photos of horses before, so it was a big challenge but I enjoyed it,” Eiji said, sounding happy and relieved.

“I bet they turned out really well,” Ash said, returning the smile.  “What do you usually take pictures of?” 

“People! I do portraits, mostly. I like trying to show a person’s true self in an image. It is difficult, but very rewarding when I get it right,” Eiji said. Now that he and Ash were talking, Ash could see in his body language that Eiji was starting to relax and enjoy the ride on Disco. She was a fun mare to ride, with a relaxed yet bold personality, making her the perfect match for Shorter. Ash always enjoyed riding her himself when he got the chance, so he wasn't surprised that Eiji seemed to like her, too.

 “That sounds really interesting,” Ash said, warmth flooding through his veins at Eiji’s enthusiasm.  _There’s just something about him that makes me feel good,_ Ash thought.  _He’s so easy to talk to._

With the initial awkwardness dispelled, Ash and Eiji’s conversation flowed naturally and Ash found himself wishing they could spend the whole day riding side by side and chatting.  _It’s nice.  I don’t want to let myself get too close to him, but this is really, really nice._

“Shorter and Skip mentioned a horse show next week?” Eiji said.  They’d left the ring and rode out on the track surrounding the paddocks along the edge of the woods.

“Mhmm.  First big one of the season,” Ash said.  “I’m taking Seymour, of course, and showing couple of Jessica’s horses for her, too.”

“That will be fun,” Eiji said.  “I bet you are looking forward to it.”

“Absolutely,” Ash nodded.  Then he was struck by a sudden impulse and found himself going on before he could even consider the offer he was making to Eiji.  “Hey, Shorter and I are driving the truck and trailer down to the showgrounds on Friday night and spending the weekend since the horses will be stabled at the show.  You should come with us.”

“Really?” Eiji asked, brown eyes glittering.

“Yes, really,” Ash smiled in spite of himself.  “It’ll be fun.  Anyway, you’ve said that you want to compete eventually so it will be good experience for you.  And we can always use another pair of hands to take care of the horses all weekend.”

“I would _love_ to,” Eiji beamed.  “Thank you for inviting me.”

“No problem.  We’ll all have a good time,” Ash said, enjoying Eiji’s excitement.  _He’s so cute when he’s happy,_ Ash thought.  But he couldn’t get the guilt surrounding their last conversation out of his head.  It hovered around his brain like a storm cloud. He figured it was better to address it than just continue to stew in the awkwardness of it, as tempting as that was.  “By the way, Eiji,” Ash started.  “I’m sorry about um, info dumping on you about my brother and stuff the other day,” He trailed off.  “I kind of overstepped.”

“Now it is my turn to tell you not to apologize,” Eiji replied, looking serious all of a sudden.  “You did not do anything wrong by telling me.  I do not mind listening at all.  If you ever want to talk about something to me, please tell me.  I know we just met not so long ago, but I already think of you as my friend, Ash.  And I want to help if I can.”

Ash blinked.  Even though Eiji was reiterating what he’d already told him on their trail ride, hearing it still surprised him.  So much so that he almost couldn’t figure out what to say.  After a few moments, he finally got his thoughts together.

“I think of you as my friend, too, Eiji,” Ash said, voice soft. 

“I am glad,” Eiji replied, looking down at Ash from his perch on Disco’s broad back.  His smile was like the sun.  _I don’t know what I did to deserve meeting someone like him,_ Ash thought, giving Eiji a shy smile in return.  _But whatever it was, I’m glad for it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I really hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter! I had a lot of fun working on it :) I was especially happy to further explore Ash and Shorter's friendship because I just adore the dynamic between them. 
> 
> Sorry for the delay in posting, but these past few weeks have been crazy! Finals are on the way, so I've had lots of homework to do, plus even more grading for the class I'm a TA for! I was also at an anime convention a few weekends back (and I found LOTS of good Banana Fish stuff in the Artist's Alley). I also cosplayed as Ash which was super super fun! Plus I've been busy with my horses and getting ready for the first horse show of the season so I haven't been able to write as much as I'd like to.
> 
> Please be sure to let me know what you think! I LOVE comments and they seriously make me so, so happy! If you want to say "hi," I am on twitter @pennylanewrites !
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, everyone! You are all awesome! See you next time~

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I really hope that you are enjoying the story so far! I have had a lot of fun working on it and I'm glad that I am able to share it with all of you. The game plan is to update this story every other Saturday~ (I have a YOI fic that will be updating on the other Saturdays).
> 
> Comments absolutely thrill me (seriously, I LOVE them) and make me super, super happy so please let me know what you think! I would really appreciate it. Constructive criticism is also welcome. I'm also available on twitter @pennylanewrites so please come say "hi" and cry about Banana Fish with me~
> 
> ALSO, I just want to point out that I don't get my handle on here from Arthur from Banana Fish lol. I've had it for years and it's actually a Beatles joke lmao. Just figured I'd put that out there as it's caused some confusion lately since I joined the Banana Fish fandom hahahaha
> 
> Until next time, my friends! <3


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